Manuela Gostner

Manuela Gostner raced in the 2017 European GT4 Championship, driving a Maserati. She is best known for driving a Ferrari. Unusually, she was almost 30 when she started competing.

She is the elder sister of Corinna Gostner, who races in the Coppa Shell Ferrari Challenge with Manuela and their father, Thomas. Their brother, David, also races. It was he who encouraged Manuela to take the wheel of his Ferrari at a test day in 2014.

She started racing only a few months later, at Brno. Her sister Corinna made her debut at the same time. Corinna finished just above Manuela in the first race, in tenth, and they swapped places for the second. Manuela returned for the season finale in Abu Dhabi. She was 20th in the championship.

In 2015, she enjoyed a bigger racing programme and contested the entire Coppa Shell Ferrari Challenge. Her car was a Ferrari 458 run by Ineco-MP Racing, who ran her in her first races. She started slowly but soon learned the car. By the third round at Mugello, she was into the top ten. In September, she broke into the top five for the first time, at Imola, and repeated this at Valencia. She was twelfth in the championship.

In 2016, she raced both with and against Corinna: in the Ferrari Challenge, she was not quite as competitive, earning two top tens, the best of these being a ninth at Monza. She finished 21st overall. She and her sister shared the Ferrari in two Italian GT Championship rounds at Mugello, and were eighth and sixth in the GT Cup class. They were racing against their brother and father in another MP Racing Ferrari.

She made a move into the European GT4 championship in 2017. Her Maserati Gran Turismo  MC was run by Villorba Corse. She was third in the Am category, just in front of her Villorba team-mates, Romy Dall’Antonia and Giuseppe Fascicola. She won her class at Brands Hatch and Zandvoort and was third at the Red Bull Ring.

The Coppa Shell had not been forgotten. Back with the Ineco-MP team, she did most of the European Ferrari Challenge, and had a best finish of sixth at Paul Ricard. She was also sixth in the World Final at Mugello.

She was third in the 2018 Ferrari Challenge, winning races at Catalunya and Monza. Monza was also the scene of her third place in the World Finals. Away from the Ferrari Challenge, she raced a 488 for Kessel Racing in some bigger races. In October, she was fourth in the GT3 class in the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the Algarve circuit, sharing with Giorgio Sernagiotto. In December, she was part of an all-female team for the Gulf 12 Hours, alongside Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey. They were second in class and sixth overall.

Her GT4 success has earned her a first FIA driver classification of Bronze. The Kessel team recruited Manuela and her Gulf 12 Hours team-mates for a campaign in the 2019 European Le Mans Series. The three women raced as the "Iron Dames" and became the first all-female team at Le Mans itself for almost ten years. They finished 38th overall and ninth in the GTE Am class, ahead of their all-male "sister" car.

In the wider ELMS series, Manuela and her team-mates had their fair share of car problems, but they still managed class second places at Silverstone and Paul Ricard, on their way to fourth in their class championship.

The Iron Dames got back together for the 2019 Gulf 12 Hours and were running in a strong fourth place when contact with a backmarker caused their retirement.

Her second season as an Iron Dame led to another run in the Ferrari in the ELMS. The three-woman team managed three third places in the GTE class, although it wasn't the easiest year for them. An eighth at Algarve dropped them to fifth in the championship, despite some strong performances and out-doing their "sister" Iron Lynx car.

The Dames got to the finish of their second Le Mans together, finishing 34th overall and ninth in the LMGTE Am class. 

Away from the Iron Dames setup, she also raced for her family team in the Creventic 24 Hours series. She shared an AMG Mercedes GT3 with her sister Corinna, brother David and father Thomas. They entered the double six-hour races at Monza and Mugello, finishing third twice at Mugello and fourth and fifth at Monza.

She was part of the Iron Dames team again in 2021, but only started the first two WEC races of the year and did not race at Le Mans. Her best finish was at Portimao, where she, Rahel and Michelle were seventh in class. 

She also did the first four rounds of the ELMS season, as part of the same driver trio. They only finished twice, but did manage a fourth place in the first round at Catalunya. Manuela's Ferrari was taken out at Paul Ricard by a Porsche driven by Michael Fassbender, which forced her retirement. Manuela had been in front when Fassbender tried an over-ambitious overtaking move, which was later penalised by the stewards.

After that, she moved into the Le Mans Cup, racing the Ferrari in the GT3 class. Her team-mates were Sarah Bovy and Doriane Pin and she had a best finish of third in class, achieved at Le Mans and Spa. The Le Mans race was the support to the 24 Hours itself.

After 2021 she stepped down from the Iron Dames, but continued to race. She competed in the Coppa Shell category of the Ferrari Challenge Europe, driving a familiar Ferrari 488. After a second and Paul Ricard and a third at the Hungaroring, she was fourth in the championship. At the end of the year, she joined her family team again for the Gulf 12 Hours in Bahrain. Driving a Mercedes-AMG, she was seventh overall.

She carried on in the Ferrari Challenge in 2023, finishing second in the Coppa Shell class with three wins and three additional podiums. Her victories came at Valencia, Le Mans and Spa. The family got together again for the Gulf 12 Hours in December, although this time they were only 18th in the Mercedes.

2024 continued in a similar vein, with two more Coppa Shell wins in the Ferrari Challenge, at Jerez and Portimao. A couple of additional podiums put her fourth overall in the Coppa Shell standings. The family team was back in action for four rounds of the 24H series, in the Mercedes. They were contesting the GT3 class and were fourteenth in the GT3 Am section. They were 26th at Mugello and 20th at Spa. Their final race of the year was the Gulf 12 Hours in December. They were 18th overall.

Away from the circuits, she competed internationally at both indoor and beach volleyball before having her two daughters.

(Image from https://north.gt4series.com)

Abbie Eaton

Abbie Eaton is a British sportscar racer, who was a leading driver in the 2016 British GT championship.

Abbie started competing in the SaxMax junior championship in 2007, after four years of competitive karting. She was fourteenth overall in her first year, with a best finish of fourth overall.

She improved dramatically in 2008, to take fourth in the championship this time. Apart from two DNFs, she was never out of the top ten all season, although a win eluded her. Her best finish was second at Pembrey, and her lowest was sixth at Donington. She earned three podiums and two fastest laps.

In 2009, upon turning 17, she moved up to the Dunlop Sportmaxx Championship for production cars, driving a Vauxhall Corsa. She won her class fifteen times, and was crowned Class B champion at the end of the year.

Despite winning a championship in her first full season as a senior driver, she could not find enough sponsorship to race in 2010, other than a guest appearance in the Max5 championship for Mazda MX-5s. She was third.

In what would become a pattern for the next few seasons, she entered the Max5 championship in 2011, running for a part-season. Her best finish was fourth.

She returned to the series in 2012, but again, only managed a part-season, due to a major sponsor pulling out and an engine failure. Her best finish was fifth.

She did another part-season of four races in 2013, scoring a win at Oulton Park, and three other podiums.

In 2014, she made a full return to motorsport, in the MX-5 Supercup. Driving for the AE Racing  team, she fought off Tom Roche and won the title by one point, after five outright wins.

Most of 2015 was spent racing a BMW M3 for Geoff Steel Racing in the GT Cup, a step up in power for her. She won one race, at Silverstone, and achieved five more top-three finishes: three seconds and two thirds. This left her fifth in the championship. She and her team-mate, Michael Symons, were never out of the top five, apart from two DNFs.

She raced a Maserati GranTurismo MC in the 2016 British GT Championship, driving for Ebor GT Motorsport. Her team-mate was Marcus Hoggarth. She was a creditable fourth overall, and second in the Pro-Am class, with one second place at Oulton Park, and two more fourth places, at Spa and Donington. Ebor was a new team for 2016, and they had their difficulties, although Abbie was able to perform well and finish eight out of nine races.

Despite her solid results in 2016, Abbie was not retained by the team for 2017. She impressed in a one-off drive in the Blancpain Endurance Series, winning the Am class in an AF Corse Ferrari 488, but this did not lead to any more outings. Later in the year, she had a guest drive in the British GT Championship in a Ginetta G55, coming ninth in the GT4 class.

Late in 2017, Abbie was named as one of the resident test drivers for Amazon TV's The Grand Tour. She has appeared on screen several times and remained part of the team for 2018 and 2019.

2018 did not feature a regular drive, but she did make some impressive appearances in the JET Super Touring Trophy, driving a Holden Commodore which was one of the oldest and heaviest cars on the grid.

Australia was the new focus of her racing aspirations in 2019. She signed up for the Super2 Series, the junior championship for V8 Supercars, driving a Holden Commodore for Matt Stone Racing. It was not the easiest of debuts at Adelaide; she finished two of her three races with a best result of fourteenth. No more funding for extra races was forthcoming and she had to return to the UK.

In November, she was offered the VIP car for the Saudi rounds of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, supporting the first Formula E race of the season. She was fourth both times. In August 2020, she made another guest appearance at the Berlin circuit, finishing seventh, sixth and fifth.

Shortly after her first Jaguar race, she was announced as a driver for the 2020 W Series, despite having been sceptical of the concept previously. Her debut single-seater season was not spectacular, with sixth places at Zandvoort and Red Bull Ring the highlights. The low point was a serious multi-car crash at Circuit of the Americas, which left her with broken vertebrae in her neck. She missed the last round.

Before her accident, she had also been racing in the Praga class of Britcar, sharing a Praga R1T with Gordie Mutch and Ashley Dibden. They won one race at Silverstone and were second at Oulton later in the year.

She recovered in time for the start of the 2022 W Series season, having been invited back as the last regular driver. She was thirteenth in the championship after an uneven year, with a seventh place in her home race at Silverstone being her best result.

There was no W Series in 2023, as the championship had folded due to financial issues, so Abbie went back to sportscars. She raced in the European Lamborghini Super Trofeo, sharing with Daan Pijl in a car run by Rebelleo by Bonaldi Motorsport. They were seventh overall, finishing third once at the Nurburgring. Driving a different Lamborghini Huracan with John Seale, she entered the Donington round of the British GT championship, but did not finish.

Still in one-make motorsport, she raced in the Porsche Carrera Cup in the UK in 2024. This proved a good move, as she won two races, including one from pole at Silverstone. This was a first for a female driver in this championship. She was fifth in the final standings. In addition to this, she drove a Plymouth Barracuda in the St Marys Trophy at the Goodwood Revival.

In future, she has expressed interest in both Le Mans, and the Australian V8 Supercar series.

(Image from http://www.racing.gt/2016/02/my-racing-bucketlist-abbie-eaton/)

Andrina Gugger

Andrina with her SEAT Leon, 2015

Andrina is a former karter from Switzerland, who has raced cars since 2008. Initially, she raced single-seaters, but she has since branched out and become a very versatile driver.

Her first two seasons were spent in Formula Lista Junior in Europe, first driving for Jo Zeller Racing, then for her family Gugger Racing team. She was fourth in 2008 and seventh in 2009, scoring one win in each season. In 2008, this came at the end of the year, at Monza, and followed a third place. In 2009, she won the first race of the season, at Dijon.

In 2010, she moved up to Formula Masters in Germany, driving for Mücke Motorsport. She could only manage fifteenth in the championship, but had a best finish of fifth at Oschersleben, again, in the firstrace of the season. By the end of the year, she had achieved five other top-ten finishes, but several DNFs dropped her down the rankings. During the off-season, she tested a GP3 car, becoming the first female driver to do so, but this did not lead to a race seat.

In 2011, she switched to sportscars, mainly driving a Maserati MC GranTurismo. She was eighth in the Maserati Trofeo Europe, after one podium finish, a third place at Spa. Her programme included six races in the earlier part of the season.

She also drove a Maserati in some Blancpain Endurance Series GT4 races, scoring a second at Magny-Cours and a third at Monza. Although she was scheduled to race at Navarra, she did not make the start. She shared the car with Devis Schwägli, another Swiss driver.

 As well as this, she raced in two rounds of the ADAC GT Masters, at the Red Bull Ring, in a Calloway Corvette. This car brought her less success than the Maserati; she could only manage a 30^th and 31^st place.

In 2012, she drove a Porsche 911 GT3 in the GT Masters, with Otto Klohs. Their best finish was 19th, at Zandvoort. Andrina had a 100% finishing record, but was not among the leading drivers in her class.

At the start of the season, she was thirteenth in the Dubai 24 Hours, driving a Porsche 997 for the same Auto Fach team. She was driving as part of a team of five.  

In 2013, she raced around Europe, including the Lotus Ladies' Cup. She took part in two races at the Slovakiaring, finishing third in one. This was not her only Ladies' Cup: she was awarded the ETCC Ladies' Cup also, finishing sixth in the S2000 class. Her best results were two fourth places, again at the Slovakiaring, and she was driving a Honda Civic.

2014 was very similar for her, with an eighth place in the ETCC, in the Civic. She managed one fourth place, at Spa, and two fifths, at Spa and Paul Ricard. Some non-finishes dropped her down the rankings somewhat, but she held on to the Ladies’ title. She did four rounds of the FIA Lotus Ladies' Cup, at the Oschersleben and Slovakiaring meetings. These gave her four fourths and one fifth place. She was also eighth overall in this championship.

In 2015, Andrina changed her racing direction again, and registered for the SEAT Leon Eurocup. She finished in 21st place, after a rather difficult season. Her best finish was seventh, at Estoril, although she has struggled at other circuits, apart from the Nürburgring, where she was ninth. She was one of five female drivers taking part in the Eurocup this year, and finished second in the Ladies’ standings.

(Image from http://www.andrinagugger.ch/)

Women in International Sportscar Racing After 1950: Part II

Juliette Slaughter at Le Mans in 1978

Part one of this post can be found here. Andrea Robertson now has her own post, like Yvonne Simon, Martine Renier, Josie von Neumann, Greta Oakes and Sharon Scolari.

Leigh O’Brien - drove a Chevrolet Camaro in major American races in 1994, as part of an all-female O’Brien Racing team. She was 47th in the Daytona 24 Hours with Kat Teasdale, Tami Rae Busby, Linda Pobst and Margy Eatwell, and 42nd in the Sebring 12 Hours, with Linda Pobst and Kat Teasdale. Previously, she was named as a driver for Anthony Puleo in the 1993 Daytona 24 Hours, but did not make the start. This was despite finishing 16th in a Camaro in the Daytona tests.

Bianca Maria Piazza – raced a series of Ferraris in Italy in the 1950s. She drove a Ferrari 250 MM in 1953 and was 7th in the 12 Hours of Pescara with her husband, Mario. The Mille Miglia resulted in a DNF. Bianca, driving the 250 MM herself, was tenth in the Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix, but suffered an accident in the Monza Grand Prix. The couple had raced a different car, a 195 Inter, the year before. They were 16th in the Pescara race and 83rd, fourth in class, in the Mille Miglia. Driving solo, Bianca was third in the Coppa Europa. In 1954, she and Mario were 42nd in the Mille Miglia, still driving the 250 MM. They were sixth in their class. In a 166 MM, they were eleventh in the Messina 10 Hour race.

Linda Pobst - raced in Grand-Am, including the 1994 Daytona 24 Hours and 12 Hours of Sebring, driving a Chevrolet Camaro with Leigh O'Brien, Margy Eatwell, Tammy Rae Busby and Kat Teasdale. They were 47th at Daytona and 42nd at Sebring. The car was prepared by the O’Brien team. She has also taken part in many SCCA and Trans-Am events since 2000. More recently, she has driven the CART pace car and worked as a racing instructor. She began her motorsport career in autocross, shortly after her marriage.

Ingeborg Polensky - German driver of the 1950s who is best-known as Gilberte Thirion’s co-driver, in both rallies and races. They drove together from 1952 onwards, using Gilberte’s Porsche 356 and Ingeborg’s own Porsche, on occasion. They were fifth in the 1954 Tour de France together, and achieved the same result in the Tour of Belgium. Their last drive together resulted in an eleventh place on the 1956 Tour de France.

Luisa Pozzoli - Italian racer of the 1950s and early 1960s, who was a contemporary and rival to Maria Teresa de Filippis. Driving a Fiat 1100, she is listed as a finisher in the 1955 Mille Miglia, having failed to finish the year before. In 1957, she was third in the Trofeo Vigorelli Monza, driving a Fiat-Abarth Zagato. In 1959, she drove another Italian car, an Osca S750, in hillclimbs, and to sixth place in the Shell Vallelunga Grand Prix. For a change, she drove an NSU Prinz in 1960, finishing 26th in the Coppa Ascari, with Anna Maria Peduzzi. Returning to Italian power, she was fifth in the Coppa Carri in a Fiat 1100. She was still driving the Osca in 1961, where she proved she had not lost her touch by coming third in the Coppa Sant Ambroeus.

Anna Rathe – Norwegian driver who races a KTM X-Bow in the GT4 European Series, for Reiter Engineering. Despite being involved with karting for many years, she only started racing in 2013, when she was 32. In 2013 and 2014, she raced a Nissan GT-R in the Norwegian GT championship, and was third overall in 2014. In 2016, her best GT4 result was tenth, at Spa, with co-driver Cedric Freiburghaus. Individually, Anna was 30th in the championship. She has also raced an Audi R8 LMS Ultra in the International GT Open Series, finishing eleventh at Spa. In 2017, she joined the Reiter all-female team for the Dubai 24 Hours, driving a KTM X-Bow. She was 16th in class. Away from the circuits, Anna is a vet.

Lise Renaud - Belgian race and rally competitor of the 1950s and 1960s. She was often co-driver to Gilberte Thirion, sharing a Renault Dauphine for the Gilberte's 1956 Tour of Belgium class win. Prior to this, she had co-driven Madeleine Pochon to a Coupe des Dames and seventh place on the Monte Carlo Rally, in 1954. As well as co-driving, Lise occasionally competed in hillclimbs and more often, road races. She is listed as a driver in the 1957 Mille Miglia, sharing a Citroen DS19 with Regine Gordine.

Marianne Rollo (Windridge) - raced in the USA in the 1960s. She and Denise McCluggage entered the 1960 Sebring 12 Hours together in an Osca S750, but failed to finish. They returned to Sebring in 1967, this time driving a Ferrari 275 GTS/4, and were 17th, second in class and the only Ferrari finishers. Marianne drove in many SCCA events in the late 1950s and early ‘60s and managed to win several, including a Marlboro six-hour race in 1963. She drove a selection of American, Italian and British cars, including Corvettes, MGs, a Triumph Spitfire and a Jaguar.

Melanie Snow - has raced on and off in the ALMS since 1999, having raced Porsches in the USA since 1997. In her first ALMS season, she won the GT3 class at Sebring, driving a Porsche. Ten years later, she made a comeback with a Porsche 997 GT3. Her team-mate was her husband, Martin. They won the Challenge class outright, after three class wins at Salt Lake City, Road Atlanta and Mid-Ohio. A further two starts did not lead to finishes. Later, in 2011, she returned once more, forming an all-female team with Andrea Robertson. They drove a Ford GT at Mid-Ohio, finishing 14th. Melanie stayed with Robertson Racing for two more races, but spent most of the year driving in the IMSA GT3 Challenge for her own team, in a Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. She was sixth overall, with two fifths as her best results. Snow Racing also made an appearance in the Canadian Porsche Carrera Cup, but did not do as well. Driving for another team, Melanie also raced a 997 in the international Porsche Supercup, but was not among the leaders. Snow Racing was active in SCCA events throughout 2012, with Melanie driving alongside her sons Madison and McKay, a first in US motorsport. In 2013, they took their family team to the Daytona 24 Hours, driving a Porsche 997 with Sascha Maassen, Marco Seefried and Klaus Bachler. They were 19th overall.

Annie Spiers – raced sportscars in Europe in the 1950s, with her husband Jacques. Their MGA finished the Tour de France in 34th, in 1956. They tackled the Mille Miglia in 1957, coming 153rd and tenth in class. In 1960, Annie reappeared as navigator to Annie Soisbault in her Triumph TR3. They entered at least the Alpine Rally together.

Anita Tóth - competed in the Maserati Trofeo in 2011 and 2012. She was 34th in the 2011 championship, with one points finish. In 2012, she only drove in five rounds, and was not placed in the final standings. That year, she also took part in four rounds of the Lotus Ladies’ Cup, based in Hungary, her home nation. In 2013, she drove a Honda Civic in the Central European Endurance championship. In 2014, she raced the Civic in touring car events in Central Europe, with a best finish of tenth, at the Hungaroring. Back in the Civic in 2015, she entered the Eset TWC Touring Car Cup, and was more competitive. Her best result was third, at the Slovakiaring, and she was usually one of the top five finishers. In 2016, she raced the Clio in the EWC Touring Car Cup again, and was a regular top-ten finisher in a large field. Her best finish was fourth. Away from actual competition, she is a motorsport journalist for a Hungarian newspaper, and writes extensively about the Dakar. She also works in an organisational capacity for rally raid events, and as a press officer for the WTCC. 

(Image copyright Steve Burton)

Isabelle Haskell

Isabelle with Alejandro (in car)

Beautiful, blonde American Isabelle Haskell always much preferred the style of continental cars to the brutish muscle-cars of 1950s America.

She was the daughter of a sometime racer and US motor industry veteran, Amory Haskell. He was involved in motor racing, but his real passion was horse racing. He led the US Jockey Club and founded a track in New Jersey. The Haskell family was wealthy and well-connected and Isabelle enjoyed a privileged upbringing with her siblings. She was presented as a debutante at Tuxedo Park, New York, in October 1948. The accompanying newspaper reports describe her own skill as a horsewoman.

Isabelle began racing herself in the early 1950s, first in a British MG TD and then in an imported Siata 300BC sports model. She got into cars and motorsport through her friend Daphne's elder brother, on whom she had a major crush. At first she was happy with driving her MG on the road; she only began racing in 1953 when encouraged by her employers in Florida. Her father did not approve.

It was in this car that she scored her first significant results in the US championships, with a best of fifth in a handicap race at the Lockbourne road circuit in 1953.

She continued in national and regional competition for another season with the Siata, and then moved on to another Italian car, a Maserati 150S, in 1955. That year she drove at the prestigious Nassau Speed Week in the Bahamas alongside international stars such as Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss. She shunned the ladies' races and entered the main draw, coming sixteenth in the Governor's Trophy and 21st in the Nassau Trophy. Closer to home, she became the first woman to race at Sebring in that year's 12 Hours, although she and Dick Irish failed to finish in their Bandini. They were classified 57th. The Siata was retained and used in a few SCCA races, but with no significant results. She decided to try her luck in Europe and set about getting a British racing license. The motorsport authorities in Europe were still more positive about female participation than their counterparts in the States. In 1955, she practised at the Modena airfield circuit in the Maserati, in preparation for a race at Senigallia, although the result of that race seems to have been lost.

At the time of her Italian trip, her brother spoke to the US papers and told journalists that Isabelle was taking the next step in her racing career to prove to someone she could drive, and that the "someone" was their father.

By this time, Isabelle had developed a preference for longer endurance races, and she tasted her first international success in 1956. She and Carlos Lostalo came seventh in the demanding Buenos Aires 12 Hour race, again in the Maserati. The event was also a happy one for her, because that was where she met her future husband, Argentine Alejandro de Tomaso. They ran together at Sebring in Alejandro’s Maserati, but went out after only 15 laps due to a faulty gearshift linkage. Although Isabelle did not drive at the Nürburgring 1000km herself, she entered a pair of Maserati 150S’s for Alejandro and Carlos Lostalo, and Guiseppe Musso and Walter Monaco. Alejandro and Carlos also drove their car in the Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix. Driving alone, Isabelle entered the Venezuela Grand Prix in her Maserati, but did not finish.

Sadly, 1956 was not all happiness for Isabelle. On an early foray into Europe to compete in the Rheims 12 Hours, her team-mate Annie Bousquet crashed the Porsche 550 they were sharing, and died shortly afterwards.

In 1957 she put her sadness behind her, and entered a new phase of her racing career. She and Alejandro married and became team-mates, following a game of will-they-won't-they with an interested US press. They proved a formidable pairing at Alejandro's home event in Buenos Aires, coming sixth in their small 750cc Osca, a class win. Unfortunately that was their only notable finish of the year; they failed to finish at Sebring and in Venezuela, and a crash put them out of the Swedish Grand Prix. They were on the entry list for the Mille Miglia, but it is not clear whether they actually competed. Driving solo, Isabelle finished third in the 1500cc class at the RACB Grand Prix at Spa, using an Osca S1500. Alejandro had previously raced the car, with her as entrant, in Portugal. Isabelle also shared an Alfa Romeo Giulietta SV with Carlos Menditeguy at the Nürburgring 1000 Km, but they did not finish.

The following year their fortunes were reversed. Although the couple failed to finish in Buenos Aires, Isabelle finally cracked Sebring, ably assisted by Alejandro and Robert Ferguson. They finished the 12 Hour race eighth overall, with a class win, in a works-entered Osca S750. This was in contrast to a disastrous Buenos Aires event two months previously, when the axle on the S1500 broke only five laps in.

The smaller Osca brought them another class win at Rouen in June. Isabelle and Alejandro were ninth overall in the three-hour sportscar race.

1959 was to be her last year of major competition. Isabelle and Alejandro returned to Sebring, with Denise McCluggage and Ricardo Rodriguez this time, and were eighteenth overall, in the 750cc Osca. Denise and Isabelle entered the Nürburgring 1000 Km in the 1500cc version, but the gearbox failed on the first lap. Isabelle also applied to enter Le Mans with her husband, but her entry was refused. The French authorities were still mindful of Annie Bousquet's fate three years earlier, and were keen to avoid adverse publicity. However, not all European motorsport authorities were so defensive, and Isabelle drove an Osca at the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay, although she does not appear to have finished. At the Spa Grand Prix, she was second to Carel Godin de Beaufort, driving the Osca S1500.

In 1959, Alejandro and Isabelle retired to Italy and founded the De Tomaso motor company, which produced both single-seater racing cars and exotic sports models for the road. Isabelle was involved with the design and was responsible for the idea and name behind De Tomaso's two performance saloons of the 1970s, the Longchamp and the Deauville. Both are named after French racecourses; by this time she was the owner of a string of racehorses.

Later in life, Isabelle's interests leaned back towards the four-legged variety than the four-wheeled. She and her sister, Hope Haskell Jones, established a successful breeding line of racehorses. As well as horses, she continues to breed prizewinning Cocker Spaniels to this day.

(Image source unknown)

Maria Teresa de Filippis

The first woman to enter, and then complete, a Formula One Grand Prix was Italian Maria Teresa de Filippis, in 1958. Her tenth place in a World Championship race at Spa-Francorchamps was a milestone in motorsport history and a high point in a career that had lasted almost twelve years.

Maria Teresa was a contessa, the daughter of an Italian count. She learned to drive at a young age and took an interest in sports, especially horse-riding, at which she excelled. In 1948, her two elder brothers dared her to enter a hillclimb in her Fiat 500, saying that she would not be as competitive as she was on her horse. Both brothers took part in local races and speed events.

To their surprise, their little sister not only completed the hillclimb, but won her class too, plus a special award for "Driver of the Meeting".

The racing bug had truly bitten. Maria Teresa acquired a Urania 750cc sports model for the 1949 season and campaigned it around Italy. In regional races she scored three class wins and three seconds. In the bigger races she also took some good finishes, the best being a sixth in the Stella Alpina. She was ninth in class in the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti but did not finish the Coppa Toscana.

She carried on with the little Urania for part of 1950, entering her first Mille Miglia with Motta. they failed to finish, but so did a great many others that year. Driving solo, Maria Teresa was tenth in the Premio di Apertura.

Part-way through 1950, Maria Teresa hooked up with the Formula One driver Luigi Musso. they became close friends and team-mates, both racing 750cc Giaurs on occasion. Soon, Maria Teresa became caught up in Musso's complicated love life , although they seemed to bring out the best in one another on the track. She was ninth at Collemaggio, twelfth at Modena and sixth in the Circuito di Senigallia. She carried on improving throughout 1951, with another ninth at Castello, third in the Coppa Ascoli and fourth in the Cidonio Grand Prix.

Maria Teresa and Luigi Musso continued their arrangement through 1952, despite Luigi already being married. They carried on campaigning their Giaur sportscars around Italy, although they were getting a little old and outclassed by then. Musso also raced a series of more potent Fiats and Maseratis.

It was time for a change of car. The Giaur was sold and replaced by an OSCA 1100, bigger and faster than its predecessor but not quite as reliable. It failed to get to the end of the Circuito di Senigallia or the Montenero Cup, but gave its owner some superb race results. She was fifth at Avellino and second at the Trullo d'Oro and the Circuito di Sassari. Away from the circuits, on the famous Pescara road course she was fourth in the 24-hour race with a class win, beaten only by three cars with vastly superior horsepower to her own.

At the end of 1953, Maria Teresa ended her romantic involvement with Luigi Musso, although they remained friends. When Musso was killed during the French Grand Prix in 1958, she was deeply affected and later cited this as one of the reasons for her retirement not long after. However, this was five years into the future, and after the 1954 season she bought Musso's old 2000cc Maserati A6GCS to race herself.

1954 itself was spent racing an OSCA MT4, in Italy. She had a best finish of second in the Napoli Grand Prix, and was also fifth at Caserta, and sixth at Pergusa and Siracuse. These were all non-championship Grands Prix.

1955 was a year of contrasts: she won a race in Sardinia and was runner-up in the Napoli Grand Prix. Going back to her roots, she took part in some long-distance hillclimbs and won the Catania-Etna event outright. Still in Sicily, she was thirteenth in the Giro di Sicilia, against a big field.

In another exciting (in a different way) moment, she crashed out at Mugello spectacularly. Emergency services spent quite some time helping Maria Teresa out of the stricken Maserati, which was dangling half-over a cliff. In another stroke of poor luck, she crashed hard in Sardinia and was unable to finish her season.

Needless to say, Maria lived to tell the tale. She was back with the Maserati for 1955 and was more ambitious than ever, attacking the both the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio, in which she was ninth. She was driving for Officine Alfieri Maserati with Luigi Bellucci. Most of her big races that year were endurance events; she was tenth on the Giro di Sicilia and a strong third in the Messina 10 Hours, driving with Musitelli. She also tackled the Mille Miglia, but did not finish.

1956 got off to a terrible start. Maria's first trip to the Americas, for the Buenos Aires 1000km, left her with a broken shoulder. She had hit a telegraph pole early on after swerving to avoid another accident.

After a recovery period of some months, she returned to the Italian circuits that summer. She was not given to over-analysing accidents and was not afraid of what might happen to her. As a consolation, she won at Caserta and came second in the Napoli Grand Prix for the second time. She even returned to Buenos Aires for the 1000km the following year, although she and Alberto Rodriguez-Larreta retired their OSCA TN 1500 with electrical trouble.

Ever-keen to advance herself, Maria joined Scuderia Centro Sud, a leading racing team, for 1957. However, she did not receive a great deal of financial support and struggled, competing in a handful of races with no real results to show for it. Nevertheless, she carried on with her push up the sporting ladder and a acquired a Maserati 250F Grand Prix car, with the intention of entering Formula One with the Scuderia.

The car had a good debut in the non-championship Syracuse GP. Maria was fifth and the highest-placed debutante. DNFs at the Pergusa GP and the Messina 10 Hours were not as encouraging, but she carried on regardless and entered her first World Championship Grands Prix. This was a first for a woman.

The 250F had been the privateer car to have only a couple of years ago. It had taken Juan Manuel Fangio to world titles and won countless races, but was now out of date compared to the Coopers, BRMs and Vanwalls that dominated 1958. When Maria tried to qualify for the Monaco Grand Prix, she was far from making the final sixteen, but in good company; fifteen others failed to make the cut.

A month later, Maria was lining up on the grid for her first Grand Prix start, the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. From 19th on the grid, she worked her way up to tenth, behind Jo Bonnier and winner Tony Brooks. It was a small victory, for Maria and for a lady driver. Fangio himself commented on her fearlessness, and commented that she drove the Maserati "too fast"!

Buoyed by her comparative success at Spa, she qualified her Maserati for two more Grand Prix. In Portugal, she was forced out by engine trouble after only six laps, but at Monza she completed 57 of the 70, coming tantalisingly close to a final classification again.

Having formed a close friendship with the French driver Jean Behra, Maria joined his racing team for another attempt at the Monte Carlo Grand Prix. She was driving a Formula Two Porsche and failed to qualify. This was her last World Championship race.

Her only other big race that year was the British Empire Trophy at Silverstone. It was her first visit to the United Kingdom. She qualified her old 250F but did not finish the race.

In August that year, Jean Behra was killed in a sportscar race at AVUS, Germany. Maria had intended to be in that race too, but did not take part. She was overcome with grief at not being there for her friend. Having lost many of her friends and her former lover, she lost her nerve and turned her back on motorsport completely. She threw herself into family life and could not bear to set foot on a circuit for many years.

By 1969, her wounds had healed somewhat. She became involved with a club for former Grand Prix drivers and was active in its administration for many years. Since then, she has spoken freely of the great cameraderie she shared with her fellow drivers during her racing days, and has expressed disappointment that the F1 stars of today are missing out on it.

In 2006, at the age of eighty, Maria Teresa drove a car in anger for the first time in decades. She was an honoured guest of Maserati at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and had been invited to demonstrate its latest GT racer, with Jodie Kidd and Troy Bayliss. This most "from the heart" of drivers received a warm reception. In recent years, her profile has risen slightly. In 2012, she was chosen to appear in advertising for UBS, alongside Yo-Yo Ma.

She died on the 9th of January, 2016.

(Image copyright Fulton/Getty Images)